Friday, February 01, 2008

THE industrial and textile city of Coimbatore is in the throes of a big change. For the past three years, it has witnessed ceaseless activity in every area – real estate, foundry, engineering industry, civil aviation, information technology, textiles, hospitality, health care, education and poultry farming. However, the resulting economic boom has brought in its wake a host of problems, and the optimistic mood that prevailed earlier is now tempered with caution.

If the six-laning of the arterial Avanashi Road and the cutting down of hundreds of trees lining the road for this purpose are the most visible form of activity, there are numerous entrepreneurial activities taking place quietly. For instance, the construction of a massive Trade Fair Complex with five halls and with a total built-up area of 30,000 square metres. Two halls, big enough to hold industrial exhibitions, and a food court of international standards are the latest additions. The Trade Fair Complex is the flagship project of the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (CODISSIA). It is gearing up to host the biennial Industrial Technological Fair from February 1 to 6. About 450 participants are expected to showcase different types of CNC machines, hydraulic presses, general engineering machinery, welding machinery, construction equipment, gearboxes, motor pumps, and so on. Fourteen foreign countries are also participating.

C. Muthusami, the low-profile president of the association, said: “CODISSIA is the first district association in India to own a trade fair complex. The complex is spread over 40 acres. The entire complex has been built without any assistance from the government. The first phase, which involved the construction of three gigantic halls, was completed in just 155 days.”

In April, Suguna Kalyana Mandapam will host a “Made in Coimbatore” exhibition organised by the Lions Club of Coimbatore Gems. The city has pioneered many products – wet grinders, household appliances and domestic and irrigation pumps, to name a few.

“What is not made in Coimbatore?” asked N.S. Kumar, chairman, Yenyeskey Machine Tools, Coimbatore, who is striving to make the exhibition a success. “The people of Coimbatore themselves do not know the range of products made here. Wet grinders were first made here. Different types of textile machinery have their origins in Coimbatore.” If there was hype about Coimbatore being the second information technology hub in Tamil Nadu after Chennai, it is becoming a reality. After a delay of about 15 months, the first steps have been taken for the construction of TIDEL Park, Coimbatore (TPCL). It is a joint venture of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT), the TIDEL Park and the Software Technology Park of India (STPI). The success of the TIDEL Park in Chennai has encouraged its promoters to build a second TIDEL Park, in Coimbatore, which will be a massive plug-and-pay building complex for IT companies. It will have three basements, ground floor and four upper floors, a total built-up area of 1,61,500 sq m. Bids have been invited for building this sophisticated complex with civil and allied works at an estimated cost of Rs.140 crore. The complex will come up at ELCOT’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for IT at Vilankurichi. read full story